Power Supplies
Batteries, solar panels, ac chargers, regulators

About Power Supplies

Reliable power supplies enable data acquisition systems to continuously acquire and process data. Because our components use minimal power, many of our systems can be run using sealed rechargeable or alkaline batteries. Systems that require more power are often supplemented with external rechargeable batteries, regulators, ac transformers, or solar panels.

Product Line

Regulators must be used to connect sealed rechargeable batteries with a charging source (such as an ac transformer or solar panel). Regulators control the current flowing to the battery and prevent th...read more

Solar panels are photovoltaic power sources capable of recharging batteries. Solar panels are an ideal solution for remote locations without ac power available, provided the site receives enough sunli...read more

When you are using a regulator that does not include a battery, select a battery with the best size for your station's needs. You can also purchase replacement batteries for older batteries that were...read more

A power budget for the period in question should be calculated first before selecting any type of power supply. For example, a CR1000 in quiescent mode consumes approximately 0.7 mA. Quiescent current means the datalogger is not making measurements and is not communicating with anything. This current consumption during the year also does NOT include any current consumed by sensors or communications devices, which should be part of the calculation. This equates to 0.0168 A per day or 6.132 A per year.

Typically, a 20% buffer of reserve capacity should be kept in any battery scheme, which equals approximately 7.7 A per year. In applications where the temperature is below freezing, Campbell Scientific recommends increasing the reserve current to 30 to 40%.

Reserving current in this amount is not possible with a BPALK 12-V Alkaline Battery Pack or a 7 Ah battery such as what is used with a PS100 Rechargeable Power Supply. For further information, please contact us.

Yes. However, if the datalogger has an internal rechargeable battery, such as the CR3000 with the rechargeable base, disconnect the datalogger battery before connecting the motorcycle battery to the green power connector on the front of the datalogger. Two rechargeable batteries that have different Ahr ratings should not be connected in parallel.

Estimating the power consumption of a system can help with selecting the best power supply option. The system power consumption can be approximated by calculating the average current required by the datalogger, sensors, and peripheral equipment. This average current drain is primarily determined by the percentage of time spent in an active versus quiescent state, which can be approximated from the scan rate and program length of the datalogger.